In the January 2025 edition of Potash & Rock Salt by VKS, Tobias Andres, Executive Committee (EXCOM) member of Euromines and Managing Director of the Brussels office of our member VKS (German Association of the Potash and Salt Industry), delivers a clear message: securing Europe’s raw materials supply requires a resilient and coordinated value chain that starts with mining.
Andres reflects on the evolving policy landscape, noting the transition from the European Green Deal to the recently unveiled Clean Industrial Deal which is an initiative designed to revitalise industrial competitiveness while maintaining momentum on decarbonisation. While these frameworks set a strategic course for Europe’s climate and economic ambitions, Andres cautions that the increasingly complex regulatory environment may hinder key sectors, particularly potash and salt, which are indispensable to food security, healthcare, and industrial production.
He emphasises that domestic extraction of primary raw materials must remain a cornerstone of Europe’s sustainability strategy and should not be overshadowed by the political focus on recycling and circularity.
A central concern highlighted is the omission of potash and salt from the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act. Despite their vital roles in essential sectors, these resources have yet to receive the strategic recognition afforded to other materials which is an oversight that risks placing European producers at a disadvantage compared to global competitors operating under more permissive regulatory regimes.
To address these challenges, Andres calls on EU institutions and Member States to prioritise the reduction of bureaucratic barriers, accelerate permitting processes, and actively foster investment in sustainable mining operations. He further underscores the need for a strong partnership between public authorities and private industry to reinforce Europe’s industrial value chain from resource extraction to advanced manufacturing.
Download the article (in German) below.
An English translation is also available, but as it was translated by a third party, please refer to the original article for full accuracy.
